Whisper Me a Cure
by ClockworkScales
Summary: Set AFTER The Stone Key. Rushton has fallen ill with a dangerous virus and Elspeth discovers she is the only one who can save him. Disclaimer: Obernewtyn and its characters are not mine.
1. Bad News

Whisper me a Cure

Elspeth was woken in the middle of the night from a powerful stab in her mind. Maruman had awoken her and Elspeth's voice was groggy when she spoke to the old cat.

'Why did you wake me?'

Why was it that when she finally thought she had peace to sleep she had been forced awake? But then she thought she had been getting enough sleep lately anyway so pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind.

But Maruman had heard her thought.

'A master of Obernewtyn must never question its awakening but only the problem at hand / close by.'

Elspeth's eyes flew open. Master of Obernewtyn?! But Ruston was...

The cat's single yellow eye glinted at her and soon withdrew its mind from her own, leaving the room as a figure entered.

'Guildmistress?'

It was Dameon.

No wonder Maruman had left. He hated emotions or feelings or any kind of emotional disturbance.

Elspeth sat up and felt the empath's warm hand against her own which was as cold as ice.

'What's wrong?' Elspeth asked.

Dameon's white eyes flew up to her face.

'It's Rushton...' he said. 'He's...'

The empath frowned but Elspeth flared up. 'What's happened to him? Tell me, Dameon. Please.' she added quickly.

'He's sick, Elspeth.'

Elspeth's heart skipped a beat. She wouldn't have been contacted at such an hour if it was a mere cold or fever.

'He's got rotting sickness, Espeth...'

Elpeth's mind went blank and Dameon sent her a rush of calmness and comfort though with evident difficulty. After a few moments however he sighed and stopped.

'This is horrible news not only for you,' he said. 'But for all of Obernewtyn.'

As everybody knew, rotting sickness was an incurable disease which killed its victim slowly and painfully. There was no cure and whoever had it had to be shut off from the rest of the world.

'Where is he?' Elspeth was up and was pulling clothes on as quickly as her sleepy fingers would allow her. She didn't know what to think.

'With Pavo.'

Pavo was the name given to the Beforetime machine which was like a machinehealer. The machine had been named after the teknoguilder who tragically died of rotting sickness.

'Take me there.'

She travelled on Gahltha through the cold and the wind. Winter was well on its way. Dameon's arms were wrapped around her waist as he was a slow rider and so the two made their way to the Beforetime ruins.

Once they arrived, Elspeth bade Gahltha roam free until she called him. Taking Dameon's hand, she strode through the automatically moving doors to the amazing building.

Although they were shielded from each other Dameon couldn't help but let some of his apprehension through Elspeth's shield when they walked into the metal box with flashing lights, buttons, on the wall.

He couldn't see any of it but Elspeth had a feeling that he could sense the machines there.

Elspeth pressed the appropriate number for the level which Pavo was on and in an uncomfortable lurch they were sent downwards.

She guided Dameon through the white hallways and soon stopped outside the room where Pavo was.

Her throat knotted in fear and sadness now that she had taken time to rest, to feel.

Dameon sensed her hurt and brought his fingers, with amazing accuracy, up to her eyes to wipe the tears threatening to fall away.

Although there was nothing but white in his eyes, Elspeth could see his hurt in them.

Elspeth sniffed and then took in a deep breath, holding her head up high.

'Come, Dameon.' she said stiffly and walked through the door.

It was as if the spirit of every person in the room had flown right through her body and weakened her own soul.

Various healers Elspeth only knew to be at Obernewtyn were there and it was strange to see them all there bustling about. But it was even worse to see Rushton through the glass in the strange tube where Domick had once been.

Where he had died.

And it seemed that Rushton must face the same fate.

'Elspeth!' one of the healer's called but Elspeth couldn't tell who called her because her head was spinning, 'We're sorry about-'

But she had fainted.

When she woke she was in the same room she had been in the last time she had stayed at the Beforetime ruins. The bed was comfortable but it was the unsettling feeling in her mind that had woken her.

But what of Rushton?

Once again sadness filled her and then suddenly it emptied. Why-?

Then she noticed Dameon in the corner of her room. If he had eyes he would have certainly been staring at her.

'We are all sad about Rushton but as far as we can see he is quite stable for now although his temperature is slowly rising… no doubt the start of what is to come.'

Elspeth knew he didn't want to mention the further symptoms of the rotting sickness and she was okay with that. But it seemed impossible that those horrible things could happen to somebody like Rushton who was so brave and strong.

She gritted her teeth. She would just have to deal with it.


	2. A Fond Memory

She remembered their first night back at Obernewtyn with a sad smile

She remembered their first night back at Obernewtyn with a sad smile... The first time back with Rushton's mind in perfect condition.

It had been a miserable and stormy night yet Elspeth found that she couldn't sleep from the lightening. Something which normally didn't bother her sleep kept her wide awake.

Without thinking, she had padded away into the darkness of Obernewtyn, guided by candlelight and a pining for Rushton.

She had arrived in his chambers to find that he couldn't sleep either. A lamp was lit at his desk and he was bent over paperwork. It was only when Elspeth shut the door that Rushton turned around. His beautiful emerald eyes were alight with pleasure. The passion and desire in his gaze made Elspeth look at the floor for a moment.

They both knew what they wanted. It was like an instinct. Elspeth thought with an inward grimace that it was animal instinct.

She had placed the candle down on the cold rock floor and edged nearer to Rushton. 'Is that a letter from somebody?'

Rushton smirked, 'from almost every single person I know.' He sighed. 'I had not read any of it because I had been away... where I lost my sanity and you… you found it again.'

Elspeth's smile grew wider, 'I'm glad that such a service was appreciated.'

'But of course.'

They stared at each other for a few moments before Rushton took in a deep breath and blew out the lamp. Their shadows flickered on the walls from the candlelight as if they were doing an exotic dance.

Elspeth tip-toed over to Rushton and sat on his lap, her legs wrapped playfully around his hips. For a few moments they simply stared into each other's eyes but soon they could bear it no longer.

They kissed, exchanging secrets through their lips and pleasures through their tongues. Their bodies burned for each other like naked flames and Elspeth hesitated at reaching her bondmate's shirt. Rushton's strong hands took hers in his own and his shirt eased off, licking at his body.

Elspeth's lips traced across his neck and chest and then she felt Rushton's hands again at the edge of her nightgown. They exchanged glances, trading an unspoken promise. It was okay. It would be okay. It was what they both wanted.

Gently, Elspeth's nightgown was lifted revealing her chest shadowed by the candlelight on the floor behind them. Rushton growled and lifted Elspeth into the air who squealed with delight. He placed her delicately, as if she was something precious, onto the ground and removed her underclothes.

Elspeth reached and pulled away Rushton's trousers followed by underclothes. Now, both were naked and bathed in candlelight, their body heat sending hot flushes across their skin. The cold, hard ground cooling them.

Elspeth wasn't sure if it was the first time Rushton had made love to somebody but it was certainly her first time and she told Rushton this. He smiled and said in a husky voice everybody has their first time. She wasn't aware of, however, the pleasure she could feel through an intertwining of bodies.

She hadn't understood it, yet here she was... spread against the floor, breathing, gasping, moaning, crying her pleasure - something she never thought she could or would do.

Elspeth was pleased when she brought Rushton to a similar state of ecstacy and when the two finally pulled their clothes back over each other they crawled together into Rushton's bed and slept through the storm. Leaving a final few kisses on each other's skin like harmless butterflies.

The next day had been both embarrassing and amusing to Elspeth. Although she had not realised it, both she and Rushton had left kiss-stains on each others' necks and collar bones.

She didn't know what else to call it. Kiss stain seemed perfectly appropriate.

It was embarrassing because she hadn't realised the kiss-stains were there until somebody pointed it out. And it was amusing because soon enough, all of Obernewtyn knew they had slept together, except the youngsters who thankfully didn't understand.

Rushton and Elspeth had spent the next night giggling and laughing over their daystories.

For example, when Elspeth had walked into the healer hall that morning Kella had bustled over and exclaimed loudly how she had hurt herself for the bruises on her neck glimmered in the daylight. Startled, Elspeth had looked in some reflective-glass and gasped, her face turning red and Kella suddenly understood. She too turnd crimson and hurried away to find some cream to ease the purple bruising. Unfortunately the weather had been too hot that day to wear a scarf so both Elspeth and Rushton had walked around doing their duties with kiss-stains clear on their necks.

Luckily, Elspeth's quick healing body had left the bruise healed by the next day but Rushtons' stayed for a further week and a half.

Rushton had told a few people that he had tripped over outside and leeches got at his neck and when he told Elspeth this she started laughing and couldn't make herself comprehensible for the next few minutes.

Elspeth was brought back to reality when Dameon, took her hand, speaking uncertainly, 'Guildmistress?'

At least he had the tack not to call her "Master of Obernewtyn"...

'Sorry Dameon, I...'

'I was only saying that it was very confusing for me just now because for a moment I thought I had fallen in love with Rushton!'

Elspeth paused and looked at the empath blankly before laughing. Though only moments later she burst into tears.


	3. Gahltha to the Rescue!

Elspeth continued to sit in her room and refused to leave even after Daemon suggested she should

Elspeth continued to sit in her room and refused to leave even after Daemon suggested she should. She suddenly remembered reading in a Beforetime book that upon hearing terrible news or something horrible happening there was first denial, then anger, regret / guilt... Then... Elspeth struggled to remember the rest, was it acceptance next? She thought that she had passed the denial stage, though maybe she had even skipped it. Or maybe that's what she felt when she didn't really feel anything. Anger... She didn't remember feeling much anger, unless that was yet to come. Though it seemed she had skipped most of the stages and gone to the grieving part of it. All that seemed to be left was acceptance.

She wasn't ready to accept Rushton's coming death. She couldn't. She brought her hand to her eye to wipe a tear away for she wasn't ready for Rushton to die. She wanted to spend so much time with him, she still had lots she wanted to do. So much she wanted to experience with him.

Elspeth thought grimly that she might have gotten the grieving and anger mixed up because anger rushed through her like a river over pebbles. How did Rushton get sick? Why couldn't she get sick instead? Why ...

She stopped.

Wasn't that denial?

Suddenly Elspeth was extremely confused and moaned into her hands at the exact same time she felt a prodding at her mind.

But didn't the Beforetime building block out any farseeking?

She let the mind penetrate her own.

It was Gahltha.

'Elspeth-Innle is sad.' he said dissaprovingly into Elspeth's head.

'How did you contact me? How can you do that? It should be impossible to get through the walls of this place!'

'It is.'

'Then how-?'

'Be calm / rested, Elspeth-Innle. Gahltha will explain / tell to you...'

There was a pause.

'Open your entrance / door.'

Elspeth cocked her head in confusion and figured not to question the mighty beast. She pressed a button on the door and it opened showing a massive black horse in the way.

'Gahltha!' Elspeth exclaimed with joy and kissed the creature's beautiful flowing mane. 'How did you get in?'

'The blind empath let me in. He seemed to sense my desire to be with you, Elspeth-Innle.'

Elspeth gasped. Daemon!

'Your bondmate is sick / unhealthy / unwell. What ails him?'

Elspeth felt her feelings knot into her throat yet again. 'He has rotting sickness, Gahltha, he can't get well. It is impossible. No body has ever lived from the rotting sickness before.'

Gahthla gave a snort.

'The machines can not help him much.'

'They can't. They can keep him safe from us and himself but the healers can't help and the machines can't help. Not really...' Elspeth added solemly.

'Has Elspeth-Innle tried?'

Elspeth furrowed her eyebrows, 'No of coures I haven't! If I did I'd die! And if I failed I'd die and he would die. It would be a mighty loss for all of Obernewtyn.'

Gahthla whinnied. 'This talk of failure is useless.'

'But it is useless!' Elspeth cried out. 'Completely useless! Completely hopeless. We couldn't save Pavo, we couldn't save Domick and so we have no hope to save Rushton!'

Elspeth tasted something salty and realised she was crying again. She wiped them away violently, ashamed to be crying again. Yet what could she do? Rushton was dying.

Gahthla didn't react to Elspeth's sudden outburst.

'Have you spoken to the funaga, yet?'

'The others? No.'

'No, I mean Rushton.'

'No..' Elspeth suddenly felt horrible. 'I'm not sure if we can.'

'Let's go see him.'

Elspeth hugged the horse and the two walked down the white corridors to Pavo and ultimately, Rushton.


	4. A Talk with Rushton

Elspeth walked into the healing room alarmed to see only Garth fiddling with the controls

Elspeth walked into the healing room alarmed to see only Garth fiddling with the controls. Rushton's naked body was in the tube on a small bed and Pavo tended to some boils which had risen on his forearm. Some sort of rash. Thick purple puss oozed out of the boils and Elspeth forced herself to look away.

'How is he...?' she asked hesitantly. Garth looked up, surprised.

'Ah, guildmistress,' he exclaimed. 'Not the best. His fever is down though now boils are sprouting up on his body and Pavo said that Rushton has got a mouth cancer developing which apparently is this-'

'I don't want to hear it.' Elspeth said sternly, then looked apologetic. 'Sorry.'

Garth only nodded.

'You can try talk to him if you like.'

This was exactly what Elspeth was waiting to hear. Determined, she walked over to the layer of glass barring Rushton in his tube from Elspeth and the others.

'Rushton?' Elspeth whispered.

She looked hopefully at his figure. He looked awake...

'Rushton, love?'

Elspeth decided she'd try and communicate with him through her mind. If he was half conscious she'd be able to bring him to his conscious mind.

She gently entered his mind and kept her shields well up in case some of his pain would leak into her or vise versa.

'Rushton?' Elspeth asked again.

The sound of her bondmate's voice sent a shiver through her body. 'Elspeth, love?'

'Yes, it's me.'

'I am sick.' Rushton sent weakly.

'Yes, I know. You have... something horrible.' She couldn't allow herself to say it.

'Rotting sickness, Elspeth.'

Elspeth felt his mind go weaker, dripping into unconsciousness.

'If I could do something to help, may I?'

Rushton's mind laughed. 'And do what? Send me pictures of how things will be without me so I can die in peace? I'm afraid there is nothing you can do, Elspeth.'

'Don't talk with such foolishness.'

But who was the foolish one, really? Elspeth regretted her words. Rushton felt her guilt like one of the boils protruding out of his chest.

'We are both foolish here.'

'But, Rushton, if I could... somehow... do something. May I? I wish to ask your permission.'

'You may.'

Elspeth sighed with relief.

'Rushton-love, be strong for me, okay?'

'I'm doing my best.'

Elspeth watched as Rushton's body convulsed and he coughed horribly. The sight sent a tear to her eye. Perhaps the reason why he wasn't talking was because it was too painful to talk?

'I love you.'

Elspeth saw the Rushton figure grimace, for he could not smile without intense pain. Rushton sent a weak mindpicture of him and Elspeth together at Obernewtyn, Rushton's arms were around her waist and Elspeth's hand on Rushton's cheek. They were happy together.

This picture made Elspeth gasp and she almost lost her connection with Rushton.

'I'll come back for you.' Elspeth promised.

She left the room without a further word.

Elspeth remembered what Gahltha said and she was finally seeing sense in what the horse had said.

She had saved Rushton before when there was seemingly no hope. She had saved his mind from something which had seemed impossible. Why couldn't she save his body, too?

Elspeth was filled with a new determination. She was finished going through those stupid Beforetime stages. Perhaps even hers were different for she was a Misfit.

Elspeth knew she was powerful. She knew she could do it.

That day she went to the kitchens and ate as much as she could. She was starving and needed energy for what she was going to do.

On her way back to her room, she suddenly thought of Maruman and imagined what the cat would say if he knew what she was doing. She laughed at the thought of him for she knew he would get annoyed for all the emotions flying about. She thought that was probably why he had not come on this journey.

But she thought Maruman would approve.

She arrived back into her room and had a shower, remembering that the yellow button was the one with the ideal water temperature.

Listening to the sounds outside, the machines buzzing, footsteps, calling, laughing from down the hall, she dried her hair with a towel which had a large yet bizarre strawberry print.

She sat on her bed and waited until everybody was asleep.


	5. Procedures

She knew everybody was asleep because all the main lights had been turned off and now the only sounds to be heard was the faint humming of the building

She knew everybody was asleep because all the main lights had been turned off and now the only sounds to be heard was the faint humming of the building.

Elspeth pulled some socks on so she wouldn't make any noise and treaded out into the corridor.

The corridor was only lit by a line of yellow lights along the wall. It was like a type of road. There was another light trail along the front of each door. Elspeth wondered if it was normal for Beforetimers to go wandering in the middle of the night and then she mentally slapped herself because she was doing that very thing. That and there were bound to be people working at such a time. She remembered Garth talking about "working hours" and how they could be extremely organised to completely random.

The floor was so polished and clean she almost slipped over in her socks but she kept walking, keeping sure not to make a single sound.

Soon enough she entered Pavo's room and was glad to see that there was nobody inside. They must know that Pavo did most of the work.

Elspeth spoke up, making sure she was loud enough to be heard by Pavo, but not loud enough to be heard by anyone else who might be sleeping nearby.

'Pavo? Could I please access the tube that Rushton is in?'

There was a silence before a pleasant sounding male voice sounded through the room.

'Rushton has a virus which is somewhat similar to AIDS which shuts down the immune system and leaves it open to any virus it comes in contact with. A remarkable difference is that it is extremely contagious. You may not enter the tube.'

Elspeth figured this would be the case. But she needed to be able to touch Rushton in order to reach him his deeper mind.

'I need to get in Pavo. I can help Rushton.'

'According to my database, Garth, the teknoguild master has entered,' Pavo's voice suddenly turned to Garth's, 'Rotting sickness is incurable and nobody should come into contact with it or else they will die too.'

Elspeth let out a moan of dismay.

'Pavo, Garth is wrong, I can fix it. I can fix Rushton!'

'Rushton is the name of the patient.' Pavo said simply.

'Pavo. I love this man and I have powers you can't even comprehend; I know how to fix him. Let me in the tube or it won't work.'

She sounded determined but Elspeth wasn't really sure how she would help him. She just knew she could and would which wouldn't be too convincing to a computer. She tried again.

'I know how to access the deepest parts of his mind, the subconscious, through there I can control his body to track the virus and destroy it.'

Perhaps that would sound more convincing to a computer?

There was silence and then...

'Come into the next room, I will go through the necessary procedures.'

Elspeth leapt with glee and followed Pavo's instructions. The code to get into the next room was entered for her.

'Thank you, Pavo.'

She felt she might as well thank it.

'According to Innles your name is Elspeth. May I call you Elspeth?'

'Of course.'

Elspeth entered the room and was slightly confused. The door clicked shut behind her, locking her in.

What were the necessary procedures? Couldn't she just walk in?

Elspeth looked and saw that in place of the tube in the other room, past the glass was a rubbery platform with several kinds of metal sticks which Elspeth now knew were for cleaning. She didn't understand what the rest did.

'Please remove any articles of clothing or jewellery you may be wearing.'

Elspeth looked at the shower head and nodded, then removed her cloths. She hugged her body which had quickly become covered in goose bumps.

It was cold in this room.

A metal door flew open on the far left of the glass-protected area.

'Please step inside.'

Elspeth's feet slapped against the floor and she stepped awkwardly through the door and onto the rubbery floor. She glanced blankly at her sad pile of clothes before the door swung shut with a snap.

She felt like a part of some Beforetime experiment.

Elspeth shrieked when the rubber platform started moving, the vibrations numbing her lets and feet. She was moved to the left and made it to the front of the first shower section. She stayed still, hoping whatever was going to happen to her wasn't unpleasant.

'First you must go through a cleansing procedure. Please try to stay still.'

A few moments later Elspeth flinched as icy soap liquid was poured all over body. Then two of Pavo's hands came down and rubbed her body, cleaning her. At first the sensation was uncomfortable and the sponges attached to the machine's arms were hard but after the soapy substance made it soft it was mildly pleasant. After her face and hair had been rubbed, Elspeth spat out a mouthful of the liquid and tried to get the taste off her tongue when a spurt of scorching water hit her body. Elspeth instinctively jumped out of the way but the moving platform moved her back so it seemed she hadn't moved at all.

What kind of cruel technology was this?

'Is the water too hot, Elspeth?' Pavo asked politely. 'Judging by your reaction I assumed the temperature was too high.'

'Yes it is!'

The water became warmer though when the water torrent stopped, Elspeth's body was red from the heat.

The platform moved again and she was in front of seemingly nothing. But then hands came to her from above and she was engulfed in a sort of see through material. It was sealed tight and a cylindric tank was given to her and connected to her through a pipe. She was thankful for the strips of material covering the more intimate parts of her body but it was extremely tight and uncomfortable.

'I have placed on you a suit so that no bodily fluids or viruses can be spread or given to you. Attached to you is an oxygen tank that will last for around two hours. Please make your way through the metal door on your right to get to the controls and further along the tube where patient Rushton is being treated.'

Elspeth flopped through the metal door which swung open and she realised this was the metal box that was inside this room and the other. Against the metal walls there were a number of machines and lots of buttons and other controls Elspeth didn't understand. The computers flickered to life and looking left to right Elspeth realised this must be how Rushton had gotten through to the tube in the first place.

Had Garth led him here through the cleaning or did he just stroll in and tell Pavo to put him inside?

Elspeth wheezed and grew frustrated with her outfit in seconds, she tore at it and it flew apart, the oxygen tank clanging to the floor.

Her body was bare and exposed but the machines let off warmth which kept her from freezing. She approached the right door.

'Pavo, open the door, please.'

Without even giving her a reply, the door swung open and Elspeth stepped into the strange room that she had looked into from behind the glass. Pavo's hands had moved back against the wall in order to let her do what she must.

'Open the tube, please, Pavo.'

Elspeth had expected the circle end of the tube to open but instead it opened at the top and the cylinder hissed opened through the middle as the two parts curled away from eachother.

Elspeth stared at her bondmate lying on a thin sheet of fabric and looked sadly at his deformed mouth, the boils, the red skin, the sweat the cuts, the bruises. It was all horrible to look at.

Taking a deep breath, Elspeth remembered what she had to do. She crawled over Rushton and slowly, carefully lay herself down on top of him. When she put her whole weight on him however he let out of a moan.

'Elspeth?' Rushton wheezed.

Elspeth hushed him. 'Yes, it's me, Rushton-love. Be quiet now, I've come to help you.'

Rushton breathed a rattling breath and then sighed a shallow breath.

'Help me...' he croaked.

Elspeth nodded and felt the pus from the boils on his chest seep into her hair. If she wasn't quick she would contract the disease too!

She rested her arms at her sides so her hands were against the side of his chest. Taking a deep breath, she created a powerful probe that would be able to go deep into Rushton's mind and she shielded it appropriately.

She waited a few moments and then suddenly the tube shut and all the lights turned off leaving that eerie red glow through the room.

Not wanting to call out Pavo in case she injured Rushton, she concentrated on her task.

The probe entered his mind.


	6. In the Mindstream

Elspeth was in a forest and she walked through it, pushing vines and ferns out of the way

Elspeth was in a forest and she walked through it, pushing vines and ferns out of the way. After awhile she came to a clearing. There was the black bear that Elspeth knew was Rushton's form on the dreamtails. Only this bear was in the grasp of metal rods and the rods were shaving its silken fur away to leave bare skin with cuts and bruises all over. The bear howled and Elspeth ran up to it to stare into its foggy green eyes.

'Do not be afraid, Rushton-love, I'm going to help you.'

I'm going to try, Elspeth thought.

She went deeper into Rushton's mind. Into a new scene.

Elspeth was on the edge of a cliff, looking down into disastrous waters and she realised this was where the had gone to get to Ariel's lair. This was the place where Rushton had seen her and jumped off his boat, his mind savage.

Wind was bellowing into her face and she noticed the bear, with all its fur this time was peering over the edge, resting on its hands and knees. Elspeth knelt and placed a hand over Rushton's eyes.

'Stay away from the edge.' she advised the bear. But then she thought stupidly that the bear would know this. Rushton wouldn't be as stupid as to jump off a cliff... would he?

Crack.

A loud snapping noise came and Elspeth knew what was to come, she grabbed onto the bear and tried to push it away from the edge but it growled and beared sharp pointed teeth.

'Move, Rushton!'

Slowly, the bear got up and turned around, making its way back towards land which was nought but an icy wasteland.

With a loud cracking noise and a rumbling, the ground shook beneath their feet and Elspeth jumped to catch the bear. They fell towards the ocean but before they hit the ghastly water below, Elspeth entered Rushton's mind yet again.

Deeper and deeper into his consciousness she swam until she reached the mindstream. Bubbles floated up and popped in her face but she wouldn't let herself get lost in the stream. Delicately she placed a toe into the mindstream as if testing its warmth.

It didn't feel like a liquid, more like a rushing gust of air which changed temperatures and frequencies at different places.

Suddenly, a large tyger flew towards her, glowing silver.

It was Maruman!

Elspeth was filled with overwhelming joy to see the cat's dreamtail form. She threw her arms out to embrace him but of course, the tyger merely floated meters above the mindstream and looked at her sternly.

'Elspeth-Innle must not go into the mindstream! If you get lost / forgotten in the dreamtails you will never come back!'

'I don't care! If I can save Rushton that's all that matters!'

'The funaga-li should sleep the longsleep. It is the way the dreamtails have meant it to be.'

'How do you know what is supposed to happen, Maruman? How can you? Besides, the future can change. It doesn't have to be this way. Rushton can live!'

But the beast didn't seem to understand.

'Elspeth-Innle will fail her quest if she saves the funaga-li.'

Elspeth smiled over the tinkling song of the mindstream.

'I will only fail if I lose myself to the mindstream. Correct?'

'Yes, this is correct / right / true.'

'Then I won't get lost to the mindstream.'

Elspeth grinned broadly (which irritated Maruman) and she imagined a large cord escaping her body and connecting to Maruman.

'Moon-watcher,' Elspeth used the cat's title in her quest as she strengthened the ethereal bonds that kept the cord together. 'You will keep a hold on this cord, and I won't get lost. You could help pull me out again.'

Maruman used his mind to fasten the glowing silver cord around his waist multiple times to tie into a knot which seemed to meld with the rest of the cord.

'Wish me luck, Maruman.'

Elspeth dived into the mindstream.

A flurry of pictures and images flew into her mind and right past it as she swam through the stream, recreating a final probe for her to enter Rushton's deepest mind. As the probe grew physically in her hands, it shone blue and gold. She re-enforced the shields around her before she hit Rushton's body at the bottom of the mindstream. His body was completely black, as if coloured in ash.

Regardless of the thousands of different colours like a rainbow which tried to sway her course, she seized Rushton's body in her hands and extended the ethereal cord from around her waist to wrap around Rushton's waist. Through the darkness and the colour both Rushton and Elspeth were connected to Maruman.

Carefully, Elspeth held the blue and gold probe in her hand and blew on it. It flew into Rushton's mind and Elspeth felt herself collapse on his dark bodily form.

She found herself standing in a type of laboratory. Definitely one of the Beforetime ruins, she thought. It was lit up. In fact it looked like Pavo's room. Elspeth's eyes adjusted to the bright light and she realised that she was in Pavo's room! She spun around and looked to the tube, but it was completely empty.

Elspeth turned to the middle and saw vines growing out of the ground in front of her and twirling around… Rushton's body! The vines were already tight around his legs and up to his waist, and steadily growing taller. Elspeth tried to move forward only to find a vine had gotten her by the ankle and was trying to capture her like it did Rushton.

These vines must represent the rotting sickness! Elspeth thought.

She imagined she had a knife or a sword to cut through the vines and immediately a ruby encrusted sword appeared in her hand. It didn't feel heavy and she brought it smashing down into the ground and the vine around her leg broke off. She ran towards Rushton encased in the vines and cut them away from his body. The vines were reaching his neck! Elspeth cut at the vines on the ground and they stopped growing. Though a few seconds later, new vines grew out of the ground.

Elspeth had to be quick.

She wrenched away the vines from Rushton's body and threw them onto the ground where they faded away into nothing.

Elspeth tore away a final strand of vines and Rushton's body was free of vines! But he was asleep. She looked to the ground and the vines were creeping up to reach his body away which was floating in mid-air.

'Wake up, Rushton!' she screamed.

Rushton opened his eyes.

The probe removed itself and Elspeth found herself back at the bottom of the mindstream, she was glad to see that Rushton's human form was no longer black. It was nice and clean.

'Rushton...' Elspeth said, her eyes watering. The Master of Obernewtyn's eyes flew open and blinked at her, his eyes crystal clear.

'Let's go.'

Elspeth nodded and she swam upwards, ignoring the random noises and music, pictures and memories. She soon made it out of the mindstream and was hovering in front of Maruman, hand in hand with Rushton.

'Thanks Maruman.' she said.

The giant cat merely nodded before disappearing, the silver cords fading away and dropping into the mystical mindstream.

Elspeth looked at Rushton who stared at her gravely before withdrawing the probe from his mind.


	7. Consequences

Elspeth gasped and wiped the sweat off her forehead

Elspeth gasped and wiped the sweat off her forehead. She was lying on top of Rushton's body, stark naked. Red lights flickered inside the tube and Elspeth heard a grunt from Rushton.

'...Elspeth?'

'Yes, yes it's me, my love,' Elspeth felt near to crying, 'please rest.'

Rushton smile then groaned. '… Thank you.'

Elspeth suddenly heard a yell of both confusion and frustration.

'ELSPETH!'

Elspeth turned her head with difficulty and saw Garth staring at her through the glass. Her face flushed.

'What are you doing in there!?'

Garth was goggling at her, his cheeks turning a deep red.

Elspeth quickly sent him a mind message.

'Get me out!'

Elspeth got out of the tube with Garth looking away (extremely embarrassed) and she left into the next room where she was cleaned by Pavo again before leaping into her clothes and walking back in to the other room where Garth was standing.

'You can look back at me now,' Elspeth said. Garth turned and a splash of relief covered his face but then he looked at her scrutinisingly.

'What were you...?' Garth began but he faltered. His shields were down so Elspeth caught a thought of inappropriate times to bond. Elspeth laughed.

'I know it must have looked peculiar but I was deep probing him!'

Garth raised an eyebrow at her and went over to the computer.

'Pavo woke me to warn me of what you had done and I came here as fast as I could.'

Elspeth watched as his eyes widened.

'What's the matter?' Elspeth eyed him curiously.

Garth opened his mouth several times in alarm before spluttering, 'Rushton is completely cured!'

Something inside of Elspeth rested and she smiled, everything spinning around her before going black.

When she regained consciousness, Dameon was sitting on the end of her bed.

'Good morning.' he grinned.

Elspeth yawned and sat up in her bed. 'How's Rushton?'

Dameon chuckled. 'I had a feeling you were going to ask that.'

Elspeth waited.

'He woke up a day before you.'

Elspeth furrowed her eyebrows, 'So how long was I asleep then?'

'Only a few days.' Dameon nodded, pausing before... 'So you cured him.'

'Yes...'

She held her breath.

'Well done.'

Elspeth smiled at Dameon, 'I just had a bit of a headache now.'

'Yes, well, what you did was pretty amazing. I don't think anybody else could have done it.'

'Why do you think that is?'

'Because...' Dameon blushed a little, 'Maybe because Rushton is your bondmate and you both have shared a physical and in your case, mental intimacy that nobody else has had.'

Elspeth thought Dameon sounded a little like Pavo saying that.

'Can I see him?'

Dameon nodded and left the room, beckoning her to follow.

They walked down the lit hallways and into the elevator.

Elspeth nearly passed out again from going to the top level in the box but once she was outside in the open air she felt extremely refreshed, as if she had been deprived of something for a long time.

She enjoyed the feeling of the cold dirt in between her toes and she walked alongside Dameon who lead her down to a lake then left her there saying Rushton was there to see her.

Elspeth looked left and right but couldn't see him. Where was he?

Suddenly she felt fingers tickling her sides and she squealed, twirling around to face Rushton.

His green eyes flashed with amusement. 'Good morning, Gordie.'

'Good morning, Seraphim.' she countered. Rushton winced.

'Okay, sorry.' he said, stroking Elspeth's hair which had become a bit messy as she had slept on it wet. 'Come in the water with me?'

He motioned towards the lake. Elspeth shuddered at the thought.

'It must be freezing.'

'How do you know?' Rushton asked, throwing his arms out and catching the sun's rays. 'How do you know it's not steaming hot?'

Okay... Elspeth thought. This must be some kind of trick. But while she was in her thoughts Rushton had scooped her up in his arms and trudged towards the water, kicking off his boots in the process.

When the water licked his feet he gasped. 'It's freezing!'

But he kept on walking into the water. Elspeth watched as the water soaked through his pants up his legs until...

'No get me out!' Elspeth squeaked, struggling to get out.

'You want out?' Rushton growled. He threw Elspeth into the water and she shrieked.

'It's freezing!'

Rushton chortled and splashed over to Elspeth who splattered water into his face. She giggled.

'You will pay for that.'

And Rushton took Elspeth in his arms and kissed her hard on the lips. When they drew apart Rushton stared deep into Elspeth's eyes.

'Did I ever thank you for saving my life... again?'

'Hmm...' Elspeth thought, 'No.'

'Elspeth Gordie,' he began formally, 'Thank you for saving my life!'

And he pushed Elspeth under the water. Elspeth soon rose and spat water at him. The two were very quickly trying to each other under the water but soon they started shivering from the cold water and held each other close.

'Really, Elspeth.' Rushton said as they shared each other's heat. 'Thank you.'


End file.
